Rail services have returned to normal on a Midland train line which experienced severe disruption last week following an arson attack.
Vandals set fire to signalling cables at Small Heath, Birmingham, which affected services between Birmingham Snow Hill, Warwick and Stratford-upon-Avon.
Network Rail officials now hope the misery for commuters who use the 22 railway stations hit by reduced services is at an end as engineers completed the repairs yesterday.
Network Rail's route director Peter Strachan said: "Last week's attack was a despicable act of vandalism, which has caused prolonged delays and inconvenience for the thousands of passengers who rely on rail services along this route. I pay tribute to our engineers who have been working round the clock to ensure services can return fully. Our signalling staff also did a magnificent job, standing in all weathers for the last week to keep trains moving through Small Heath while repairs were carried out."
Six line-side location cabinets were destroyed in the arson attack, knocking out the signalling along 20 miles of the line on September 25.
Network Rail engineers made running repairs immediately following the attack to enable a reduced service to run throughout last week.
The culprit is thought to be a rail insider using expert knowledge to cause maximum disruption.
